Pelorus



Nov. 23, 1937. v. sl-:lDl-:LHUBER PELORUS K Filed Feb. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1l Nov. 23, 1937. l v. SEIDELHUBER 2,099,772

PELoR'Js Filed Feb. l5, 193'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2/ Z ZO Snoentor BB l . 4M@ w I attorney' Patented Nov. 23, 1937 rELonUs victor seiaeihuber, seattle, wash., assigner or one-half to Frank JV. Seidelhuber, Seattle,

Wash.v

Y' Application February 15, 1937, ser-linnn,125,765

13 Claims.

My invention relates to a pelorus of the portable type, by means of which a. navigator may take sights on landmarks, and by the intersection of the plotted lines of sight can determine I his position'with accuracy.

Such devices, as heretofore used, have embodied ,sight vanes rotatable about the center of the compass card, with an indicator to point out the bearing for lany given sight, but it was necessary for the navigator to take his sight, observe the bearing thus determined, remember it or stop to recordlit, then take a second sight and similarly determine-its bearing, and remember or record it, and so on withadditional sights, if more thantwosightsare taken, which usually is the case in inland Waters. If the vessel is traveling at any appreciable speed and the landmarks are reasonably close," and therefore are changing rapidly in their bearings, the time required to observe each bearing andto record it, if it was recorded, introduced an error, as` the vessel made a certain run between each such sight, and as a result the exact position of the vessel could not be plotted with accuracy, and even a small error thus introduced might be dangerous in waters where rocks or reefs or shallows are to be found. This time might be cut down by remembering the individual bearings, but still time was required in observing each bearing, and in Vaddition there was the everpresentV possibility of incorrectly observing or remembering vthe bearings.

In aerial navigation the speed of the airplane is measured'in hundreds of feet Iper second, and the navigator must be 'able to take two or more bearings with the utmost rapidity, if hefdesi'res an accurate check on his position,

It is the object of the present invention to avoid the diiiiculties referred to, and provide, in a pelorus, a device for indicating precisely each bearing as it is taken, without the necessity of taking the timeto observe the bearing, but rather leaving a mark onthe compass cardto indicate the bearing, this mark being later erased, and thus speeding up the taking of the bearings and requiring only the time to bring thesight vanes to bear upon the selected landmark, thereby cutting down the run of the yship or airplane be- 50 tween bearings, and the likelihood `of errory vor inaccuracy. f

It is a further object to provide a `pelorus having the advantages above, which is of simple construction and thoroughly reliable in operation, and which can be operatedl conveniently by (c1. vas vz) either hand alone, or by two hands, as may be preferred by the navigator.

' It is a further object to provide such a pelorus which can be adjusted for taking bearings on a true course or ona magnetic course, or other- 5 wise, as desired, and one having the capability of taking standard bearings to determine the speed of the ship, and which in all ways is capable of doing all the things required of a pelorus, and in addition having the advantages explained above. I v y My invention comprises the novel parts and the novel combination and arrangement ofthe same in a. pelorus, all as shown in the accompanying drawings, and as will. be hereinafter more particularly described'and vdeilned in theclaims r which terminate thisspecication. f

In the accompanyingdrawlngs AI have show my invention embodied in a form which is-at present preferred by me.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my pelorus.

Figure 2y is an axial section through the pelorus taken along ythelength of the sight bar. i

Figure 13- is an elevation of one of the sight vanes and associated parts, and Figure l4 isa similar elevation'of the other sight vane and i associatedparts.

The Apelorus may be considered as comprising Vthe square base I, the edges II and I2 of which are adapted to be placedragainst chart house Windowspfor example, which are parallel to or which extend transversely of the keel; a compass card 2 is mountedupon this ,base I, .and-a sight bar l3 is, rotatableabout the centerv of the compass card, and carries the sight vanes 3l 35 and 32.--A pointer onl one end of the sight vane cooperates with thefcompass card to indicate visually the observed bearing-ify thegnavigator wishes to observe it in this way. A concavity 33 on the opposite end may beiengaged by a finger to rotate thesight bar about `the-axis of thecompass card; f v q In order that the pelorus may be adjusted for truebearings or for magnetic bearings, or otherwise; Vit is preferred that the` compass card 2- be not secured directly to the base I, but upon a disk or table 20which is rotatable with respect to the rectangular base -I. Their corresponding edges may be rabbeted, as indicated at 2|, and the disk-,20, to which the compass card-2 is'se- 50 cured, maybe supported by a `bridge member I3 secured at its ends tok the .base and extendingv kdiametrically beneath the disk 20. In order to secure the disk 20 and the compasscard 2 inv any adjusted position a set screw 22 may be u received in a nut or threaded sleeve 23 secured to the bridge member Il, and this, acting as a set screw pressing against the under side of the disk 2li, will hold parts in any adJusted position with respect to the index Il.

For taking standard bearings the pins l are provided, these being located at the usual angular distancesv upon the basel I.

'I'hus far the pelorus need not'iditler materially from any previously known form 'of peloruaexcept that the compass card 2 has a surface which can receive a pencil mark and from which the pencil marks can be erased. It may be of nickelsilver, for example, unpolished or even slightly sight kvanes to rotate with them and to move lengthwise of the sight bar 3, but not transversely with respect thereto. At-one end it may be4 received, for example, in a transverse slot 35 in the sight vane 3|, and its opposite end may be guided for longitudinal and vertical movement in' an opening 2l in the sight xmlrieli. Thusthe pencil bar I can rock from the full line position of Figure 2 to the dash line position thereof, but isnormally held in the -full line position by means .of a `tension spring Il extending from the pencil bar ldownwardly and toward the sight4 vane 2|. A box 5| may. enclose this spring to prevent its catching, and to improve the appearance ofthe device. This spring, pullingv to the wright, as seen in Figure 2,-acts upon thepencil bar 5 to draw it .to the right,'thereby causing acone ,gcarried on its under side, to ride upward :ona similarly coned or inclined .member 25, carried by the sight' bar 2. and themember v22 may be gxooved to i guidev the point of the cone 62and may have a slight depression at its apex sothat-the cone 52 will not accidentally ride downthe incline of the cone 2l. A pencil or marking tip ,held in a suitable clamp il carried byythepencil bar, is thus normally held upraised,y with vparts' in'the tull' line position of Figure 2, but upon moving the pencil bar i to the left in oppositionto the spring Il, as seen in Figure 2, the tip ofthe pencil'is drawn down by the downward component of the inclinedspring,v and engages the surfaeexof the compass card 2 through an aperture '2l left in the sight bar. Since the pencil 5 1 lies inthe line ofvsight from v3| to 32, itmakesa mark in 'this line of sight,- thereby indicating graphically upon the suri'ace-A of the compasscard'the bearing at whichthe marking was v V'Buch movement'o'! the pencil bar maybe ac'- c'o'mplished byy flngerrbuttons 'formedv on the pencil bar, or by 'afcam-like' element which ywill now be' described; This cam t is secured uponk the end of a rod or post ",'the upper end of this post-being squared and received ina squared hole in the cam, or the cam being Voti'iervvise Vheld against rotation relative to the andthe cam, disposed above the'sight barv l .and below Vthe pencil bar l, engages a pin B8 which is secured in thel pencil bar. 'Therod Il is received in a 'sleeve .1., which sleeveis guided for vrotation in thebridge' member kIl and disk 2l, and the upper end of the sleeve" is clamped tothe sight bar 3, by suitable means such as`the nut13.` By means of a handle 1 /upon'the lower end of 'the sleeve 1l the entire pelorus maybe supported, andthe sight bar 3 may berotated from one position to another, the base I being held against l rotation by handvor its engagement with al chart house window. To assist in the support of the pelorus from the handle 1 and sleeve 1l the sleeve is shouldered, or has secured upon it a threaded enlargement 1I, which, through a washer 12, bears beneath the bridge member Il. and a nut 15, received on the threaded enlargement 1I, serves to clamp the sight bar 3 down against the upper surface `of the compass card, thereby fixing it in position when'this is desired. When the nut 15 is slacked ofi, however, the sight bar I is free to be rotated by rotation of the handle 1 and sleeve 10 with respect to the disk 20. This disk, during the time of taking anybearing, is heid in xed position with relation to the baseflfby means of the set screw 22, previously referred'to. A rtorsion spring l2, reactingbeyindicate any observed bearing, with the pelorus held by the handle 1, it is only necessary to oscillate the rod 60, for instance by the finger-piece 6I moving in a circumferential slot 16 in the sleeve 10, and this moves the cam 0 tothe dash line position of Figure 2, therebyeiiecting longitudinal movement of ythe pencilbar 5, and in consequence the vengagement ofthe pencillwith the surface of the compasscard. The lingerpiece 0I .can be moved; by the thumb of the hand which ygrasps the rhandle 1.` z l y It is thus possible to hold thepclorus, with the sight vanes in the lineal sight, and 'when a bearing is'obtained. immediately movefthe fingerpieoe 6I. to record'that bearing. Thesight bar can then be swung toy a new bearing.`the second bearing recorded again in thev same.way,and so on, until the required `.number of bearings have beentaken, and all such bearings can betaken and recorded accurately as .quickiys the sight Vvanes can be brought to bear on the desired land.-

It ymay be preferable', in `some cases, to .omit the depending handle 1,y so that the pelorus may be mounted upon a standardA compass.v In such a structure the movement of the pencil bar is accomplished solely by means of the handles-lt What I claim as myY invention is: l

l..In.a pelorus, in combination with thecomn pass card and a f pair of cliametrically sight vanes rotatable over saidgcompasscard,

. means associated'and movable with '-s'aid,v sight vanes, and normally held .in kinoperative position, but guidedl for movementfat will to mark the compass card to indicate any given'sight 2. In a pelqrus, in combination with the compass Acard and a pair of diametrically disposed sight vane'srotatable over said compasscard, a .pencil rotatable with the/sight vanes, means normally' holding lthe pencil'above the compass card, out of markingpositlon, andmeans to move the, pencil at will into marking engagement with cardandmeanssoto move the pencilbarin any pomtlon to which lt is rotated with the sight bar card. a pencil bar supporting said pencil andsupported by said sight bar for movement lengthwise of the latter, and also for movement of the pencil towards and from the compass card, means to rotate the sight bar, and, with it, the pencil bar, and means to move the pencil into marking engagement with the compass card, located for operation by the same hand which rotates the sight bar, when in position so to rotate it.

5. In a pelorus, in combination with a compass card, a sight bar including a pair of sight vanes rotatable over the compass card, a handle to support the pelorus, and engaged with the sight bar to rotate the latter, a pencil associated with the sight bar and normally held inoperative above the compass card, and means associated with said handle to move the pencil, at will, into marking engagement with the compass card.

6. In a pelorus, in combination with a compass card, a sight bar including a pair of sight vanes rotatable over the compass card, a handle below the compass card to support the pelorus, and engaged with the sight bar to rotate the latter, a pencil bar supported by and rotatable with the sight bar, a pencil carried thereby and disposed in the line of sight, means normally holding the pencil upraised above the,compass card, and means disposed conveniently for operation by the hand which supports said handle, 'to move the pencil bar into marking engagement with the compass card.

7. In a pelorus, in combination with a compass card, a diametrically disposed sight bar, including a pair of upright sight vanes, rotatable over the compass card, a pencil bar extending 'lengthwise of the sight bar, and the sight vanes having holes wherein the pencil bar is guided to prevent transverse movement, but is permitted lengthwise and rocking movement, a pencil carried by the pencil bar, above the compass card, an incline and a spring-cooperating be- `tween the sight bar and the pencil bar to hold the pencil elevated, and means cooperating with the pencil bar to move it lengthwise, and down the incline to cause the pencil to mark the com- Vpass card in any sighting position of the sight bar.

8. In a pelorus, in combination with a compass card, a sight bar including a pair of sight vanes rotatable over the compass card, a handle, a sleeve carried thereby, having a shoulder below the compass card to support the pelorus, andA ment with the sight bar to rotate the latter, a rod oscillatable within the sleeve, a linger-piece carried by the rod, adjacent the handle, for oscillation oi the rod at will, a pencil bar extending parallel to and rotatable with the sight bar, a pencil carried by the pencil bar and engageable with the compass card to mark the latter, means normally holding the pencil in inoperative position, and means operatively engaged by said rod, when it is oscillated, to move the pencil bar and pencil to mark the compass card with the latter.

9. In a pelorus, in combination with the compass card and a sight bar, including a pair of sight vanes, rotatable over the compass card, a base having square edges, the compass card being angularly adjustable relative to the base, and means rotatable with the sight bar, and operable at will in any rotated position of the latter, to mark the compass card in the line of sight.

10. In a pelorus, in combination with the compass card, a shouldered sleeve extending axially through and rotatable with respect to the compass card, the shoulder on said sleeve supportingly engaging beneath the compass card, a sight bar secured to the upper end of said sleeve, to rotate therewith, a handle on the lower end of said sleeve, a rod oscillatable within said sleeve, a pencil bar supported from and rotatable with said sight bar, a pencil carried thereby, means normally holding said pencil above the compass card, in the line of sight, and means carried by said rod, and operable by oscillation thereof relative to the sleeve, to engage the pencil with the l compass card, to mark a given sight bearing.

l1. In a pelorus, in combination with the compass card and a pair of diametrically disposed sight vanes rotatable over said compass card, a marking device rotatable with the sight vanes and disposed in the line of sight, in position to' mark the compass card, and supported for movement at will along the line of sight to indicate on the compass card any given sight.

l2. In a pelorus, in combination with the compass card, a marking device supported for rotation over the compass card in a position to mark the same, and further supported for movement radially of the compass card, a pair of rotatable sight vanes, and an operative connection between the sight vanes and the marking device,` to eiect rotative movement of the latter in accordance with rotative movement of the sight vanes as they come to bear upon a given landmark.

13. In a pelorus, in combination with a compass card, a sight bar including a pair of sight vanes rotatable over the compass card, a pencil supported from and rotative with the sight bar and normally held inoperative above the compass card, and means operable at will to move the pencil into marking engagement with the compass card.

VICTOR SEIDELHUBER. 

